Vick feeling the heat

ATLANTA – Walked all over the ATL today and didn’t see one Michael Vick jersey among the locals.

The Underground. Midtown. Buckhead. Nothing.

Vick needs to beat the Cowboys Saturday. For himself and for his team.

The Falcons’ playoff hopes hinge on a victory. Vick’s reputation hinges on the same.

Considering what’s at stake, don’t be surprised if Vick pulls out all the stops, meaning he won’t hesitate to run when he sees an opening.

Vick is the NFL’s 15th-leading rusher with 934 yards, 58 fewer yards than the Cowboys’ Julius Jones. Vick averages 8.6 yards per carry and is tied for first in the league with 39 runs of at least 10 yards.

The Cowboys need strong, disciplined pressure to stop Vick. That’s a tall order for a defense that has only one sack in the last 75 pass plays it’s faced.

The Cowboys have watched a lot of film of the teams that managed to contain Vick. Cleveland and Tampa Bay had the best success.

“They get after him,” Cowboys strong safety Roy Williams said when asked how those teams stopped Vick. “They blitz him and they condense the pocket on him and try to get him flustered early and often.”

Williams and free safety Keith Davis could use some help from the Cowboys’ pressure players. But even if DeMarcus Ware doesn’t get to Vick, the Cowboys should be able to stop the Falcons’ passing game.

Vick’s quarterback rating of 73.6 ranks 25th in the league. His struggles as a passer are a big reason why Falcons fans are witholding their love.

Such criticism bothers Vick.

“What have I done?” Vick said in a teleconference session with the Dallas media. “Why are people criticizing me? I really can’t find anything from watching the film and evaluating myself. I don’t know why I take a lot of the heat.”

He’ll feel even more if the Cowboys lose tomorrow.

The Observation Deck: Took Mrs. O to The Varsity today for a couple of hot dogs, a pulled pork sandwhich and a frozen orange soda. I had my first “slaw dog” and came away wanting more. Tasty stuff.

We’re going to try to check out Matt’s Rib Shack tonight to see how Georgia BBQ stacks up.